Not-stagram 19th-26th July aka edinburgh to aberdour by bike
L: This week has been a heavy one PhD wise, as I’m working really hard to get everything done before I take some annual leave in august, and then year 2 starts…. But I carved out a day for a bike ride with pals which was the best possible thing to do, so wholesome and super fun! After chatting cycling with Eris at the Lighthouse event we did a few weeks back, they and our mutual pal Grace floated the idea of a ride to Fife and we jumped at the chance!
We took an early train on the Saturday morning, because I was worried about space for our bikes, especially the e cargo bike, which I wanted to ride because my left knee has been playing up and was going to be too painful to ride up hills without a little bit of help. The cargo bike actually fit perfectly into the bike space on this scot rail train, although because there was already a bike there Abi had to hold onto hers. We’d chosen a train that only had one stop (edinburgh gateway) before our destination specifically for this eventuality.
From Haymarket we rode to Lovecrumbs for some coffee and breakfast, grabbed some emergency tyre levers from a bike shop and headed to meet Eris and Grace back at Haymarket, which sits conviently on the NCN 1, which takes you out across the forth bridge to Fife!
A: I was excited and nervous about the ride, mostly because it was the longest one we’d done in a while so I wasn’t sure how easily I was going to manage the hills. I think Lili feeling so nervous made me rally for them so I left feeling pretty positive about the day. It felt AMAZING to be back on the bike and riding with friends made me feel part of a little gang, plus we got to take up space on the road together, which is always empowering. I managed all the hills until we left Dalgety Bay to head to Black Sands in Aberdour for a swim, at which point I walked up two, but in general I felt fitter than I thought I was. Swimming with pals was also incredible, the tide was in and sea got deep quickly which made it great for swimming. Plus the waves were up so I enjoyed jumping over them. It was such a good day out and I have no idea why I don’t do this every week?
L: I’d been really anxious about taking the cargo bike – I didn’t want to feel like the odd one out, and I felt like the cargo bike made things difficult that were easier with a touring bike – locking up outside places, travelling on trains &c. I also had this thing of feeling like I was “cheating” and a (probably left over from an eating disorder) part of me felt anxious about other people doing more exercise than me? Figuring out my knees, and the shifts in my thinking that has required, has been a journey. Of course all the things were easy, and abi, grace and eris dgaf what I’m riding, and generally unlearning ableism includes all that internalised stuff you apply to yourself if not everyone else….
A: OH also I crossed the forth bridge without freaking out or walking which I am very proud of because as readers of G4Q will know I am terrified of bridges….
A: We’ve almost finished our first patreon perzine! Now would be a good time to sign up if you’re interested in receiving quartely zines, postcards, stickers and exclusive insights into our lives. It’s only £1 a month, you can sign up here. Anyway, our first perzine ‘The Pannier Bag’ is going to be exclusive to patreon because we wanted to write for a smaller group of readers and it’s been really nice to create, especially during such a busy week. Also been nice to do whilst I obessively watch my very problematic fave the Olympics… might be getting a zine about this at some point, watch this space…
L: Yeah I loved making a perzine actually, i got to write about mae martin, and also my first ever piece of (time-travel) erotica !
